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The Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt is finally able to restore its damaged churches, thanks to a decrease in the influence of Islamic extremism in the nation. With a budding hope for the future, Christians in Egypt have reported feeling safer and even plan to build new churches throughout the country.
According to Zenit, much of the change has come thanks to the Egyptian government cracking down on Islamic extremism, while lifting restrictions on the restoration of damaged Christian churches and building new houses of worship.
The restorations will most likely begin with Luxor’s Cathedral of St. George the Great Martyr, which was burned in 2016. These restorations will be conducted with the help of Aid to the Church in Need.
Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, of Alexandria, explained that his community was in dire straits back in 2012-2013, when the Muslim Brotherhood “held full power.” He acknowledged that the group is unlikely to disappear outright, but he hailed the efforts of the current Egyptian government to ensure that they no longer dominate Egyptian society.
He noted that under the Muslim Brotherhood, Christian churches were under constant threat and Christians feared to leave their homes alone. Now, while there are still “fanatics and terrorists” within Egypt, Patriarch Sidrak described them as “restrained,” and expressed that the Christian community lives in “relative safety.”
Sacrificing for Mass
The next step is to start building new churches throughout Egypt. Patriarch Sidrak explained that there is great need for more locations, as the Christian community is somewhat spread out in Egypt. With few churches available to attend on Sunday, many families travel a long way to make it to church. He noted that some families have to spend as much as a quarter of their salary to purchase round trip bus tickets for the whole family to attend Mass.
The patriarch ended his comments by noting the services that the Church provides to all people of Egypt, regardless of religion: schools, hospitals, and clinics. These are charitable arms of the Coptic Catholic Church that offer necessary assistance to the region, which is dealing with an economic crisis and high rates of unemployment.
Meanwhile, the schools, which see Christian and Muslim students study side by side, are a boon to interfaith relations.
Read more from the Patriarch at Aid to the Church in Need's site, here.
